Wellbeing & Partnerships
Saints & Spoons Café: A Monday Morning Retreat
Saints & Spoons Café, our school's very own parent café, will be open every Monday morning from 8:45 AM to 10:00 AM in the Kids' Kitchen.
Why Saints & Spoons?
Inspired by the idea of gathering around the table, much like the saints who shared meals and fellowship, Saints & Spoons Café offers a warm and welcoming space for parents to connect, relax, and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before the school day begins.
What to Expect
- Coffee & Tea: Enjoy a selection of freshly brewed hot beverages.
- Pastries & Treats: Savour a variety of baked goods.
- Community Connection: Meet fellow parents, share stories, and build lasting friendships within our school community.
A Space for All
Whether you're a first-time parent or a seasoned school veteran, Saints & Spoons Café is a space for everyone. It's a place to unwind, share experiences, and start the week with a smile.
We look forward to seeing you there every Monday morning.
Lunch Clubs
Lunch Clubs Are Back for Term 3!
Even though the weather has been cold (and occasionally a little wet!), our lunch clubs have returned in full swing—and the enthusiasm from students has been amazing.
This term, students have been enjoying a variety of engaging and creative activities during their lunch break, including:
- ♟️ Chess Club
- 🎨 Colouring Club
- 💃 Dance Party Club
- 🌈 Loom Bands
- 🧘 Wellbeing Trolley
- 🌿 Gardening Club
- 🧱 Lego Masters
- 🪁 Skipping
A special mention goes to a new initiative—our "Fairy in the Woods" Garden, created by a thoughtful and imaginative group of Grade 3 students. They've been working hard to design a magical space that encourages creativity, calmness, and a little bit of wonder during playtime.
We love seeing students take ownership of their play and learning through these clubs, and we thank all the staff and student leaders involved in supporting them.
Miss N's Lego Masters Club had creativity flowing in abundance again this fortnight. The themes for the crew were "Minifigure Madness", "Rainbow" and "Living Things".
As you can see by the photos, we have some very talented Lego builders here at St Augustine's.
Keep up the great work!
Happy Families
Two great articles to start the new term. The first is ''Parenting Through the Pushback". As Term 3 begins, many families are facing daily challenges around screen time and getting kids outdoors again. This article reminds us that resistance is normal—but that doesn't mean we shouldn't gently but firmly guide our children toward healthier habits.
✅ What’s Inside:
- Why pushback happens (and why it's not a bad sign)
- How to reframe limits as growth opportunities
- Practical examples for creating smoother transitions from screens to outdoor time
The next article, "The Two People Who Can Change Your Child’sSchool Life" is an equally interesting read. Did you know that just two positive connections can dramatically improve your child’s school experience?
This short but powerful read explores:
- The importance of a trusted adult at school who your child looks forward to seeing
- The role of a welcoming peer, and how much impact one kind friend can make
- Simple ways you can help encourage both connections
It’s a timely reminder of the power of relationships in shaping how kids feel about school—and how we, as parents and educators, can support them in finding those connections.
If you would like to provide some feedback please email your thoughts to: admin@safranksth.catholic.edu.au
Insight Articles
Please remember, Insights are released once a week during the term and we will include them in the school newsletter. The membership also allows parents and staff to access all of the previous 300+ Insights articles. To do so at any time, use the below URL and password.
https://schools.happyfamilies.com.au/login/augustine
PASSWORD: happystaps
Playgroup at St A's
Do you know that we have weekly playgroup sessions?
Playgroup sessions occur each Thursday in the school hall from 2pm - 3pm.
All babies, toddlers, and children are warmly welcome! Join us for a fun and friendly hour where little ones can play and socialise, and families can connect and support each other.
Come along and be part of our growing community – we’d love to see you there!
Parent Support
We always receive a number of offers from various companies and institutions for additional support available. Whilst they are not always suitable or relevant for all members of our community, sometimes they may be of some help. This fortnight, Catholic Network Australia (CNA) and Cyper Safety Project are offering a free parent webinar on AI and online safety. It will be on Monday, 11th August from 7.30pm - 8.00pm. The webinar offers essential insights into topics including:
− generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI companion apps
− deepfakes and online misinformation
− AI safety at home
− legal and ethical considerations of AI use.
• The webinar will help parents and carers:
− understand the online tools and technologies their children are using
− build confidence in discussing AI, deepfakes and digital truth with their children
− learn practical strategies to encourage safe and ethical online behaviour.
https://www.cna.catholic.edu.au/events-1/ai-the-digital-generation-parent-webinar
Swinburne Psychology Clinic are still offering affordable sessions/assessment to support parents in managing anxiety in children. Please see the flyer below for more information.
We would love to have you join us at St A's - would you like to help out?
As the school year begins, it's a great time to find out how you can become an active member of our vibrant community at St Augustine's. We always appreciate an extra pair of hands to help across the school for a variety of reasons. This term we will have Cooking & Gardening sessions, a number of sporting events and excursions planned. It would be great if you are able to get involved and take part. If you are keen to join in, please make sure you have a current Working With Children Check.
Savers Plus
About Saver Plus:
Saver Plus is a free community program where participants can get up to $500 in matched funding for education costs.
There are three parts to the program:
- SAVING – ANZ bank will match what participants save up to $50 a month to a total of $500 over 10 months
- WORKSHOPS - fun workshops where participants build on their money management skills and we share practical resources. These are held on Zoom and have never been more flexible to attend.
- CLAIMING - In the 11th month of the program participants claim their matched funding.
Eligibility:
Participants MUST:
1. Be 18+ years old and doing the program for the first time
2. Have Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
3. Have a Centrelink payment
4. Be studying themselves or have a child that is studying
5. Have some money from work – includes cash in hand work, child support payments, partner’s work and carer payments.
Online Safety Hacks (for Apple devices)
Over the next few newsletters, we will be sharing some practical hacks to keep children safe while using Apple Devices
Before getting started
Before diving into these hacks, you’ll need to set up a separate Apple Account for your child. This prevents them from accessing your personal data while giving them their own safe space to explore.
Then you can easily set age-based parental controls, and they can use Family Sharing.
- On your iPhone or iPad
- Go to Settings > Family
- Tap the Add Member button
- Tap Create Child Account, then tap Continue.
EXPERT TIP: Never share the ‘Screen Time’ password with your child; this will null and void the safety features as they will be able to override them. This is a parent or carer, ‘family circle only’ level of trust.
TIP 2: Ask to Buy: Your digital wallet guardian
This setting is to ensure that you are never caught off guard by app or in-app purchases. Plus, it helps to ensure all app purchases (even free ones) or anything else that can be purchased through the Apple Store are appropriate for your child.
The ‘Ask to Buy’ feature will send you a request that requires your approval every time your child tries to make a purchase. This means no more unexpected bills, and you can ensure the purchases are age-appropriate.
How to activate the Ask To Buy function:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Family in iOS 16 or above
- In iOS 16 or above, tap your family member’s name, then tap Ask to Buy
- In iOS 15 or earlier, tap Ask to Buy, then tap your family member’s name
Article sourced from Mama Mia and originally published on 14/4/25
NCCD Information & Application
